Language Specialists International (LSI), in partnership with Professionals UK Ltd, offers Work Experience / Internship programmes for students, graduates and young job seekers who are interested in gaining experience relevant to   their educational background and vocational skills. Language Specialists International is one of the foremost English Language training specialists in Britain, and have chosen Professionals UK as their programme partners because of their experience, personal service and commitment to quality in the field of Work Placement and Internship management.

All Placement Candidates are required to have an English Language level of at least Upper Intermediate (IELTS Band 6.0) before starting their Placement. In most cases, this will mean following an Intensive General English course of at least four weeks. This is essential, as it will improve your confidence and fluency in speaking, listening and understanding; indispensable for a successful Internship experience.

Your language course will be followed by a work experience placement in the area of your interest for a minimum of 4 weeks.

During this period you will:

• Improve your English
• Learn about English business culture
• Develop a network of business contacts
• Gain work experience

And after a successful placement with a British company, you can receive a University of Cambridge Validation of Work Experience Certificate (an extra charge applies) which will:

• Improve your future employment prospects

Age:
Candidates for our Work Experience Programme must be over 18, and candidates over 20 are preferred.

Duration:
The minimum number of weeks spent at placement is 4 weeks, the maximum is 48.   Work Experience students from outside the European Union or the European Economic Area are required to spend 1 week in language learning for each week spent on placement.

Location:
Language preparation will take place at Language Specialists International in Portsmouth.   Most of the Work Placements are in businesses or organisations located in the London area, placements are not generally available in the immediate area around Portsmouth.

Placements cover a wide range of work areas, from architecture to care-work, from marketing to hotels and catering, fashion and design and most areas in between. Placements are almost always unpaid. However, it is up to the employer to decide whether to make contributions towards your travel and lunch expenses.

Mentor:
Throughout the work placement a mentor from Professionals UK will keep in touch with you and will be able to provide support and guidance regarding the work place and local amenities.

University of Cambridge International Examinations:
If you complete your work experience satisfactorily, you can receive a certificate issued by the University of Cambridge International Examinations syndicate, at an additional cost of £95 for the standard (minimum 4 weeks) or £115 for the Advanced (minimum 6 weeks).

Accommodation:
During your LSI language course you will normally stay with one of LSI's Host Families. The cost of this is £95 per week in summer, and £90 the rest of the year. Thereafter, when the work placement starts, you can either continue to stay with a Host Family in the placement area or where available choose a flat share or hall of residence (summer only). Your Mentor will give you advice on the options available.   Typical cost of accommodation is between £110 and £200 per week, depending on type and conditions.   Flat shares typically are available for a minimum of three months.

How to apply:
You can apply by filling in the Work Placement Programme Application and sending a CV, together with two colour photographs and a personal statement about yourself, explaining why you want to do the Placement, what you consider your qualities are and what you can bring to a potential Placement Employer. These must be typed and in English. All three documents must be sent to LSI   by e-mail only at least 4 weeks before you intend to start your English course.   LSI/Professionals UK will also ask you for a reference from your current employer or college/university. Please note that once your placement has been arranged by Professionals UK, questions relating to this should be directed to Professionals UK and not LSI.

Costs and Payment:
Fees for English courses will be as advertised in the "LSI English Courses" brochure - Intensive General English costs £199 per week between 4th June 2007 and 24th August 2007, and £175 the rest of 2007.   There is a registration fee of £60.    Costs of the Work Placement are as follows:

PLACEMENT FEE: £500.00
Please note that full fees must be paid at least 4 weeks prior to starting the course, and a deposit of £200 is payable at the time of application, only refundable (less £60 administration fee) in the event of visa refusal.

You can pay by:

• Credit card.
  We accept Amex, MasterCard, Visa.
  
  We will need:
  • Full name of the card-holder as shown on the card
  • Expiry date of the card: ie month/year
  • Card type
  • Card number
  • Address where card is registered
  • The amount in Pounds Sterling you authorise us to take
• Direct SWIFT bank transfer to Language Specialists International Ltd, National Westminster Bank Plc, Account Number 89795482, Sort Code 56-00-64, PO Box 25, 130 Commercial Road, Portsmouth, England. So that we can identify your payment quickly and easily, please include the invoice number and student surname in the details, i.e. 4531-Smith
• Cheque or Banker's Draft in Pounds Sterling and drawn on a British bank in favour of Language Specialists International Ltd.

If you have any questions or wish to apply, please feel free to contact us:

Language Specialists International
Attn: Janet Smid, Marketing Officer
1-13 Lord Montgomery Way
Portsmouth PO1 2AH
Tel: +442392 291811
Fax: +442392 750435
E-mail: contact@lsi-international.co.uk

You can download a PDF copy of our work experience programme by clicking here.